Montana Public Radio is launching season two of Threshold, the podcast and radio show we sponsor that tackles one pressing environmental issue each season. Season one explored the story of the American bison and asked if and how we could ever have wild, free-roaming bison again.

Senator Jon Tester says he’s concerned about Congress’ ability to pass numerous spending bills necessary to keep the federal government operating by the end of this month’s deadline.

Last year a similar time crunch led to Congress passing a so-called omnibus bill. Critics say omnibus bills lack the transparency of passing multiple appropriation bills under so-called “regular order.”

The Campaign Legal Center and former Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords’ political organization are asking the Federal Election Commission to investigate what Candidate Matt Rosendale says in a recording released this week by The Daily Beast.

Montana won't be getting any federal money to help people find health coverage this fall. Since 2013, Washington D.C. has offered grants to non-profits to hire so-called 'navigators' who help people enroll in coverage that's required under the Affordable Care Act.

Eric Whitney: The muddy audio lasts 54 seconds, and in it Matt Rosendale tells an unidentified person that he expected the NRA to buy media ads in support of his campaign against Democratic U.S. Senator Jon Tester. John Adams, editor of the Montana Free Press website has been following up on the story. John thanks for joining us on Montana Public Radio.

The candidates running for Montana’s seat in the U.S. House are using very different campaign tactics. MTPR’s News Director Eric Whitney talks with longtime political reporter Tom Lutey about what the candidates are doing, and why.

"I’m very happy to be here. This is a historic occasion," U.S. Senator Steve Daines said at a press conference in Butte Friday morning.

He was introducing the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who, at his invitation, was visiting Superfund sites in Butte and Anaconda. The last time the top boss of the EPA did that was 28 years earlier.